McLaren is currently competing in the Formula E all electric racing series. Though the McLaren P1 and the Formula E track version have distinctive differences, extensive testing of the McLaren P1 through out the past two years helped McLaren in their quest to become track ready.
Here is an excerpt from an interview with Peter van Manen, Vice President of McLaren Applied Technologies, posted on McLaren.com:
“How has the electric motor been running in the McLaren P1 – is this a good indicator of its reliability in Formula E?
The McLaren P1 has now been in production since October 2013, so there are already quite a number of them on the road. Before going into production there was extensive performance, environmental and endurance testing, so that itself creates a high level of confidence. So, we are in a fairly good position; the requirements you have for proving-out something for automotive use give a lot of exercise to the motors, so we know how it reacts under different circumstances.
However, there are obviously differences between the use of the motor in the McLaren P1 and Formula E. We are running the motors harder, but for shorter periods in Formula E, and we don’t have the luxury of the P1’s internal combustion engine attached to it – it is just operating as an electric motor. Because of this, there are a number of things that we have had to do differently in terms of how it operates.
Below you’ll find video footage of the McLaren P1 being weather tested in the hot California desert as well as the snow covered Arctic Circle!